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The work

Insurance technicians, also known as insurance clerks or administrators, provide clerical and administrative support in all areas of insurance work.

Their general duties include:

sending routine letters to customers
updating records
dealing with enquiries from clients in person or by telephone, letter or e-mail
preparing insurance proposals and policies.

There are three main types of insurance technician:

Underwriting or processing technicians provide support for underwriters. When the insurance company receives a request from a broker or potential customer, technicians check the proposal form and get more information if necessary. In straightforward cases they quote a premium using standard rates, and refer more complex cases to experienced underwriters.

Claims technicians deal with paying out claims to policyholders. They issue claims forms or take details over the phone, and check that the policy covers the claim and that all the premiums have been paid. If a claim is straightforward, technicians arrange for payment to be made.

Broker technicians provide support for insurance brokers. They check insurance proposals and claims forms and get more information if necessary, contacting customers to check details and keeping them informed about the progress of any claims. They also deal with straightforward policy renewals.

Hours and Environment

Insurance technicians usually work 35 to 40 hours a week, in insurance offices or call centres. In insurance offices, the normal working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. In call centres, shift work is common and may include evenings and weekends.

Insurance technicians are office-based. Broker technicians may also spend time out of the office, visiting clients or underwriters.

Skills and Interests

To be an insurance technician you should:

have good spoken and written communication skills
be discreet and honest, as you may deal with confidential information
have good numeracy skills, as the work involves using figures and statistics
have good keyboard and computer skills
work well as part of a team
be able to manage your own workload and meet deadlines
work accurately with attention to detail
be tactful, sympathetic and diplomatic.

Entry

There are no set entry qualifications for insurance claims staff, as the qualifications needed will differ from company to company. However, many employers ask for at least four GCSEs (A-C)/S-grades (1-3) or equivalent qualifications, usually including including English and maths.

Previous experience in customer service or office work will be useful. You will usually need some computer skills.

If you are aged between 16 and 24 you may be able to enter the insurance industry through an apprenticeship programme. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk. Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland.

Training

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulates the general insurance market and you may need to meet FSA training and competency standards. Please see the Financial Services Skills Council for a full list of FSA appropriate examinations for insurance. For more information about financial regulation, contact the Financial Services Authority.

You will usually be trained on the job in a particular sector of insurance, through a mixture of in-house courses and learning from experienced staff.

You will also usually work towards a recognised insurance industry qualification, such as:

Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Certificate in Insurance
Institute of Financial Services (IFS) Certificate of Regulated General Insurance (CeRGI)
Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland (CIOBS) General Insurance Certificate.

If you are working for an insurance company that deals with the London Market, you can also take the CII’s Lloyd’s and London Market Introductory Test.

As you gain more experience and responsibility you can take more advanced qualifications such as:

CII Diploma in Insurance
CII Advanced Diploma in Insurance, which leads to Associate membership of the CII (ACII status).

ACII is often seen as the industry standard for senior or management jobs, so many employers will expect ACII status as your career progresses. See the Insurance Claims Manager profile for more details.

Opportunities

Insurance technicians can work for both specialist and general insurance companies, for Lloyd’s of London companies and for insurance brokers.

Insurance technicians with ACII status could progress into insurance underwriting, broking, loss adjusting or claims management. By completing financial planning qualifications they could also become Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs).

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

New entrants earn between £11,000 and £15,000 year.
More experienced technicians can earn £13,000 to £20,000.
Senior qualified technicians may earn up to £40,000.

Salary packages may also include insurance, pension benefits and bonuses based on personal or company performance.

Further information

Institute of Financial Services

IFS House
4-9 Burgate Lane
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 2XJ
Tel: 01227 818609

http://www.ifslearning.com

Financial Services Skills Council

51 Gresham Street
London
EC2V 7HQ
Tel: 0845 257 3772

http://www.fssc.org.uk

Chartered Insurance Institute

20 Aldermanbury
London
EC2V 7HY
Tel: 020 8989 8464

http://www.cii.co.uk

Financial Services Authority

25 The North Colonnade
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5HS
Tel: 020 7066 1000

http://www.fsa.gov.uk

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